Hey Booty! First, what are you swinging? Swing speed is different with certain brands and coils. I can swing my Lobo a lot faster than my GPX 5000. For the most part, it is really important to keep the coil as low and flat to the ground as possible. The MOST important thing is to walk slow enough to make sure you are OVERLAPPING each FOWARD movement with your coil, and not leaving unscanned strips between your left to right swings. When you hear a target, THEN slow your swing speed and pinpoint it.

Originally Posted by BOOTY SEEKERS IA

Will that help get a more accurate reading? I mean sometimes an object starts out on the grid like a penny, then after i cut out the plug it comes up moke like a pull tab or foil.

Using a garrett 250ace and a garrett gti2500 with stock coils. The way i have been doing it is being very carefull to overlap. I feel like i swing a little too fast so that why i post this question. Once i hear a beep i do try to take different stances and angles but im sure i dont slow down that much.

Swing slow for surface targets and faster for deep targets. Three feet per second is fairly fast but that is what is recommended for the AT machines. They have a faster recovery speed so you probably want to go a bit slower than that.

Where your heart is, there you will find your treasure.

O God of compassion, You alone can justify me and Your will never reject me when I, contrite, approach Your Merciful Heart, where no one has ever been refused, even if he were the greatest sinner. For Your Son assured me: Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy fail to embrace a trusting soul.

Swing slow for surface targets and faster for deep targets. Three feet per second is fairly fast but that is what is recommended for the AT machines. They have a faster recovery speed so you probably want to go a bit slower than that.

It has to do with the fast recovery speed of the AT series. I realize it doesn't seem right. Can't even find where I saw this.

Where your heart is, there you will find your treasure.

O God of compassion, You alone can justify me and Your will never reject me when I, contrite, approach Your Merciful Heart, where no one has ever been refused, even if he were the greatest sinner. For Your Son assured me: Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy fail to embrace a trusting soul.

I dig repeatable deep targets with ID machines. The tesoros are not as deep and I sweep fast. The Minelabs by comparison is slower than dirt, but deep. You might try to repeat the same pattern over an area you just detected at half speed to see if you missed much. Although, I don't feel I am done with an area that is still producing, until I have detected it with different detectors and coils at different angles and times. Point being, I will probably miss something, so going slower may have me giving up on a spot sooner and in fact not waste time. I would keep experimenting as it is not always easy to apply what works for someone else. Good luck!

It's no wonder truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense. Mark Twain

Big sign of lack of experience is the oft used statement "swing low and slow". Filtering affects the correct speed needed so four filter detectors like a lot of older Whites needed a faster than average sweep speed for best depth and I.D. Other types like Minelabs FBS and BBS models a much slower than average sweep.
Even "low" is often not the best choice depending on the amount of mineralisation in the soil.

People always try to make up rules to follow but with detecting its not just possible.

It does seem to have a lot to do with the brand (or even model) of detector, coil, ground mineralization, etc. For my Bounty Hunter Tracker IV it likes a fast speed to detect objects deeper in the ground.

One of the best ways to learn the correct speed you need is to go with a experienced MD buddy. Have them locate some targets at various depths and check the targets with your MD before they are dug. Try swinging your MD slow and fast over the targets, this will tell you what speed you need.

If you don't have someone to go with MDing, then try air tests on your MD by swinging the targets at various speeds in front of the coil. Or locate targets yourself then simply try varying the swinging speed to see which works.